Fiber cleaning belt-machine



May 29, 1934. F. P. GARDNER,

FIBER CLEANING BELT MACHINE Filed May 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 4;avg

May 29, 1934. F. P. GARDNER 3 3 FIBER CLEANING BELT MACHINE Filed May 6,1952 4 sheets shet 2 INVENTOR fkflR/Ck .l mzze BY R E N D R A G v P FFIBER CLEANING BELT MACHINE Filed May 6, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORATTORNEKS.

F. P. GARDNER FIBER CLEANING BELT MACHINE May 29, 1934.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 filed May 6. 1932 INVENTOR zqrfmeowe A ORNIEYS.

Patented May 29, 1934 PATENT OFFICE FIBER CLEANING BELT-MACHINEFrederick P. Gardner, New York, N: Y., assignor to Tropical Fibres,Inc., East ()range,'N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May6, 1932, Serial No. 609,645

. 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and useful machine for cleaning longfiber or leaf fiber, and has for its object the provision of mechanicalmeans for obtaining fiber and by-products con- .tained in the leaves,stalks and stems of fiber bearing plants, such as Pita, Pita-floja,Penquin, Maya, Chivi-Chivi, Banana, Plantan, Abaca,

Pineapple, Yucca, Tampico Hemp and the like.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a machine which issuitable for cleaning fibers of the above named varieties, and whichwill replace the primitive hand methods now employed in the abstractionof said fibers.

A further object includes the provision of a machine with an endlessbelt therein which belt acts not only as a conveyor but combines thespecial features of a decorticating unit made possible by compressorrolls and the agency of a flexible shoe which is adjustably fitted inthe'section at the back of the belt where the scraping drum revolvesover the surface of the belt. The belt moreover serves to feed the fibermaterial into and through the machine, and also acts as a conveyor formoving the fiber material through the machine at any desired rate oftravel. Moreover, in combination with the floating adjustable rolls thebelt acts as a crusher unit, thereby expressing the juice from the leafand collecting the same and also breaking the back of the leaf todistribute the fiber material more uniformly,

and to loosen the pulpy material thereof.

The belt member also forms a flexible floating scraping means whichcoacts with a scraping drum and a flexible shoe to automatically adjustitself for the handling of varying fiber masses. It further acts as ameans for delivering the fiber free from the machine and freed from thepulpy matter.

' In combination with the adjustable plate and 40 scraping drum anydegree of flexing can be given to the material in the operation ofcleaning.

Other objects will appear hereinafter, and I attain these objects by aconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1.is a side elevational view of the machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view somewhat diagrammatic showing the adjustable breakerplate and associated parts;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective showing the breaker plate with thebreaker bar and feed rolls;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective showing the scraping drum and the beltguiding shoe;

Fig. 6 is asomewhat diagrammatic view showing the belt provided withbars and having omitted the breaker plate and associated parts;

Fig. 7 is a view showing a portion of the 'belt provided with movableslats;

Fig. 8 is a plan view thereof; and

Fig. 9 is a side view of a modified belt guiding shoe.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews wherever they occur.

It is one of the prime purposes of this invention-to provide a machinewhich is capable of cleaning long fiber or leaf fiber of the characterindicated above in an efficient manner without manual aid, said machineto be so constructed as to be portable in the field and groves where thefiber material is grown. Said feature of portability and low horse powerand low upkeep being of prime importance in this respect. In mycopending application, Serial No. 599,102, filed March 16, 1932, forFiber cleaning machine, I have disclosed a type of machine suitable forsimilar purposes, wherein the fiber material is conveyed through thecleaning portion by a rotary drum and associated means, which drum isused in connection with this machine. In that machine I use a sectorcleaning device, while in this machine I rely principally upon acontinuous belt for conveying the fiber material through the machine andfor cleaning the same in connection with associated parts about to bedescribed.

The belt is a thin flexible metallic member, preferably ofnon-corrodible steel of suitable width and thickness. It is supported onsuitable pulleys or rolls so arranged that the juices or liquidsexpressed by the first compression are collected at the feed end. Fromthe first crushing rolls the belt carries the crushed fiber material toa second floating fiber-compressing roll which further compresses thefiber and spreads out the thickened masses to unify the fiber there andto loosen the pulp on the same.

The fiber is then carried by the belt onto the breaker plate beneath twofeeding rolls and over the breaker bar. At this point the scraper bladeson a rotating drum violently flex the fiber material so as. to break thesame. The angle of the break bar and the'violence with which the scraperblades strike the fiber can be varied to a greater or less degree so asto give more or less breaker action at this point. The belt now passesonto a supporting shoe which is provided-with suitable end guides and aflexibly supported backing. This backing provides for automaticadjustment of the belt with reference to the scraper blades and drum, soas to accommodate various masses flexing action on the fiber material.

of fiber material under difierent conditions. The fiber is carried overthis shoe and beneath the scraper blades. The scraper blades, however,will move over the fiber mass at a high rate of speed, thereby strippingoff the pulpy mass and collecting the same between the various scraperblades. At a suitable place where the fiber material and belt separatefrom the scraper blades and "the drum, the pulpy material is dischargedcentrifugally from the drum. The cleaned fiber material is carriedforward and discharged from the machine independently of the pulpymaterial.

The form'of belt just described consists of a thin flexible sheet havingno obstructions thereon. In a modified form, however, and under certaincircumstances, it may be desirable to increase the breaker actions ofthe fiber material while the same is passing through the scraping are.In such instances I provide the belt with breaker bars across the faceof the belt.

Said bars may have any desired shape, and may be so constructed as to befastened to the belt or movable independently thereof. When breaker barsare used in connection with the belt, it is desirable to modify thefloating rolls so as to have a fiuted surface. These fiutings are soarranged that they will coincide with the breaker bars, and thus providegreater breaking and These bars, therefore, extend across the face ofthebelt and provide greater and continuous flexing action during thecleaning and removing of the pulp therefrom. The spacing, width and formof the bars may be changed so as to suit required conditions.

In the modification wherein the belt is provided with independentlymovable bars the breaker plate may be omitted and the supporting shoemodified as to accommodate the independently movable breaker bars andsupporting chain. The bars in this construction may travel at the samerate or slower or faster than the belt. If the bars are caused to movefaster than the belt, the same will serve in automatically cleaning thebelt from disintegrated pulpy matter.

Referring now to the drawings I provide a frame 10-10 mounted onsuitable skid members 11-11 for supporting the machine and moving thesame from place to place. On the frame 10 I provide bearings 12, 13 and14 for the respective feed roll or drum 15, the mid or breaker roll ordrum 16 and the end roll or drum 17. These rolls or drums carry the belt18. Any suitable means for tensioning belt 18, such as pulley the beltby these conveyors and between the floating liquid expressing roll 23.This roll is floatingly mounted in bearings 24. The bearing is tensionedby suitable springs in the usual manner and to such an extent that aliquid content will be substantially expressed from the fiber material.It is found that the degree of compression must be limited so asnot tocompletely break the pulpy fiber containing material. The liquidmaterial drains off over the beltand is collected by suitable means as atrough 26. The fiber material is then carried by the belt beneath theconveyor 25 and is deposited beneath the floating compression roll 2'7,which is held in floating bearings 28. Pressure is now supplied to thebearing of such a degree that the fiber masses and fiber bundles and theribs of the leaf material will be unified and pressed down so as topartially loosen the fiber material from the non-fibrous material.

The mass now is carried by the belt and deposited on the flexing orbreaking plate 29. This plate is adjustably held bysuitable adjustingmeans 30. By turning the handle 30', the plate is moved to and fro so asto increase or decrease the space between the breaker bar 31 and thescraper blades 32, which are held in a rotating scraper drum 33. Thebreaker bar 31 may be adjusted by a hand wheel 34, so as to increase ordecrease the angle over which the fiber is flexed. By this arrangement Iam enabled to increase or decrease the flexing action of the breakingmechanism so as to meet different conditions and different grades offiber to be cleaned.

A pair of feed rolls 35 on the breaking plate, 29 provides means wherebythe rate of feeding the fiber material may be controlled. These rollsare fioatingly adjusted by means of a bar 36, tensioned under springs37. In order to guide the material onto the breaker plate, any suitablemeans may be provided, such as a traveling apron 38.

It will be noted that as the material passes between the breaker rolls35 and the breaker plate 29 and breaking bar 31 that the break barabruptly changes the angle at which the material is conveyed through themachine.

Y this means it is possible to readily adjust the degree of breaking orflexing without stopping the machine or interrupting the operationsthereof. ing blades 32 on the rotating scraping. drum 33. The rate ofrotationof said drum varies with conditions and is always at a very highrate of speed up to or more than 800 revolutions per minute.

In order to provide a long scraping surface I cause the belt to travelon an arc of the circle described by the outer points of the scraperblades. The belt is guided through this arc by suitable means such asshoes 39 which are adjustably supported on the frame 10. The innersurface of said shoes is provided with suitable anti-frictionj meanssuch as graphite studs 40 against which the belt rides.

In order to provide for different thicknesses of material on the belt inpassing through the sector are, I provide a resiliently supported shoeor backing 41, which shoe or backing is floatingly held by spring device42. By this means the belt and material are fioatingly supported in thepath of the scraping blades. By adjusting the tension device 42 agreater or lesser degree of scraping action may be supplied to the fiberin passing through the scraping arc. It is possible to adjust thedistance between the material and the The material is then subjected tothe scrapf scraping blades near the top or near the bottom of the beltguiding shoes. This adjustment is accomplished by loosening the bearingnuts 43 of 5 bearing 44, and by the adjustment handle 45 and:

the drum and the belt, orvice versa. The adjustment is made through thecontrol rods 45 and 46,

ficiently to cause trouble.

After the fiber material has passed over the breaking plate and breakingbars it travels between the belt and the scraping blades on the drum,thereby submitting the fiber material to repeated and intensive scrapingactions over an increased length on the fiber. By this action theloosened pulpy material is scraped from the fiber and gathered betweenthe scraper blades by which the pulpy material is given a velocitygreater than that of the moving fiber. The result is that a clean fiberis conveyed in substantially straight lines through the machine anddelivered at the end thereof, while the pulpy and non-fibrous materialis gathered from the fiber material and thrown off independently of thefiber material, by the rotating drum.

In connection with the shoe which guides the belt and the portion whichsupports the belt, it will be noted that the guide proper is fitted tothe machine while the shoe which faces the back of the belt isfloatingly and adjustably held to allow the belt to flex and toaccommodate itself to the fibrous material as it passes over itssurface.

In some instances it may be desirable to provide a greater degree offlexing for the fiber material, and to continue this flexing while thescraping blades are actively removing the non-fibrous material. In suchinstances I provide the belt 18 with cross bars 50, which may befastened to the belt as shown in Fig. 6, or said cross bars may bemovably held on the belt as shown in Figs. '7 and 8. Where the crossbars are used I find it advisable to dispense with the breaking plateand breaking bar and to replace the feeding rolls 35 with a flutedfeeding roll 51. This roll is floatingly suspended in the usual manner,as shown. I also find it advisable, although not absolutely necessary,to replace the floating compression roll 27 by a fluted compression roll52. The flutings of these rolls are so adjusted with respect to the barson the belt as to fit in between the bars and thus perform the functionof compressing and breaking at the same time. If desired, a liquid guide53 may be provided as shown in Fig. 6. Ordinarily the liquid drains downthe sloping surface of the belt 18and is collected in any suitable meanssuch as 26 heretofore noted.

Where movable bars are provided the same are preferably held and movedby side chains 54 which are moved on pulleys 55, which may be attachedto the belt drums 15, 16 or 17. In order to provide for this type ofmovable conveyor device I have devised a shoe guide 39' over which thebars are guided, as shown in Fig. 9. The shoe guides are fastened to theframe by bolts passing through suitable eyelets 56. The spacing of thecross bars may be of any desired extent and the bars themselves may beof different design as may be de-- sired or necessary, to meetconditions.

Where the bars are moved independently of the belt the rate of motionmay be greater or less than the belt, but usually the rate of travel issomewhat greater than the belt so as to be self cleaning.

"A control device operating handle 60 provides means whereby the speedof the belt and associated parts may be varied with respect to thescraping drum. It may be either increased or decreased, as is desired,and this change may be effected without interrupting the operation ofthe machine.

Other advantages will suggest themselves to those versed in the art, andwhat I claim as new and useful and desire to be secured by LettersPatent is:

1. In a fiber cleaning machine, the combination of compressor rolls anda continuous belt for conveying fiber material to said rolls of meansfor subjecting said fiber material to fiexing's, resilient means forflexibly supporting that part of the belt as it moves through an arc ofa circle, and means for separating the pulp from the fiber as it ismoving through said arc.

2. In a fiber cleaning machine the combination of compressor rolls and acontinuous belt for conveying fiber material beneath said rolls,meansfor flexing the fiber material onto the moving belt, resilientmeans for supporting the belt on an arc of a circle while carrying thefiber material through said are and means for separating the non-fibrousmaterial from the fiber material while passing through the arc. (5:

3. In a fiber cleaning machine the combination of compressor rolls and acontinuous belt for conveying fiber material beneath said rolls, meansfor lifting the fibrous material from the belt, a bar over which saidfibrous material is flexed onto the belt, resilient means for flexiblysupporting the belt portion moving through an arc of a circle, and meansfor scraping the fibrous material on the belt supported by the resilientmeans.

4. In a fiber cleaning machine the combination of compressor rolls and acontinuous belt for conveying fiber material beneath said rolls, meansfor lifting the fibrous material from the belt, a bar over which saidfibrous material is flexed onto the belt, a shoe for movably supportingthe belt on an arc of a circle, and scraper blades moving over said.belt as it. moves through said are for collecting the pulpy matter fromthe fiber and discharging the same at a velocity greater than that ofthe fiber.

5. In a fiber cleaning machine the combination of compressor rolls and acontinuous belt for conveying fiber material beneath said rolls, meansfor liftingthe fibrous material from the belt, a

bar over which said fibrous material is flexed supporting the belt on anarc of a circle for moving the fibrous material through said are, and adrum carrying scraper blades for cleaning the fibrous material on thebelt portion in passing through the arc.

7. In a fiber cleaning machine 'a continuous belt for carrying fibermaterial through the machine, means coacting with said belt forexpressing the liquid from the fiber material, means for breaking saidfiber material to loosen the non-.,

fibrous matter from the fibrous matter, a shoe for supporting the movingbelt on an arc of a circle, and means for scraping the fibrous materialas it moves through said arc.

8. In a fiber cleaning machine a continuous belt for carrying fibermaterial through the machine, a roll cooperating with said belt forexpressing the liquid products from the fiber material, a second rollfor further compressing the fiber material, means for resilientlybacking the belt as the same carries fiber through an arc of a circle,and scraper blades for removing nonfibrous material from the fibrousmaterial as the same passes through said are.

9. Ina fiber cleaning machine, an endless belt for carrying fibermaterial through the machine, a drum having scraper blades thereon, saiddrum mounted to scrape the fiber in the direction of the moving belt butat a velocity greater than that of the fiber on the belt, and meansengaging the sides of the belt for guiding and resiliently backing thesame as it moves through an arc of a circle and in the path formed bythe outer edges of the scraper blades.

10. A fiber cleaning machine according to claim 1 characterized in thatthe belt is provided with moving cross bars.

t 11. A fiber cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized inthat the belt is guided through said are by means of a spring mountedshoe which gives the belt a resilient backing in the cleaning arc andfloatingly supports the belt and the fiber material in the path of thescraping blades.

FREDERICK P. GARDNER.

